Cushion for bed-slats



A. LALIB'ERTE. CUSHION POR BBD sLATs.

(No Model.)

No. 474,018. Patented May s, 18:92.

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UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBINA LALIBERTE, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

CUSHION FOR BED-SLATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,018, dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed November l5, 1890. Serial Nol 371.574. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom z5 may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBINA LALIBERTE, a citizen of. the United States, and a resident of the city of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bedsteads; and it consists in the devices and combinations of devices and parts herein-u after described, and set forth in the claim.

The objects of my invention are, primarily, to provide a iiexible or lsoft elastic cushion for use between the ends ot' the slats and side rail to prevent squeaking or noises occurring when being used, and, secondarily, to provide specific combinations of devices and parts by which my invention 4may be applied to the parts of bedsteads to prevent the occurrence of squeaking when the parts are in use. I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which- Figure lis aplan view of a section of abedstead and slats with the improvements in this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a form of cushion which may be used and applied to the ends of the slats. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cushion applied to the end of the rail and with asecond cushion for support of the bed-bottom bar or rail. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a cushion of a modified form of construction which can be employed with the slats. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an end portion of a slat having the modification of cushion shown in Fig. 5 applied thereto.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents a head-board (or foot-board) of a bedstead. Bis a side rail of the same. b is the bar secured to the side rail for holding the slats c c, and C is the sup port-ing rail or bar of a spring bed-bottom, all of which parts are old and form no part of my invention.

It is well known that bedsteads employing removable bed-slats and having their side rails detachable from the end boards will in many cases squeak when the occupant of the bed moves or turns over, and also that in or spring in their contact with the slats which support them. These squeaking noises are produced by the vibrations of portions of the wood of those parts as they rub one on the other when disturbed by the movement of the occupant of the bed, and I have found that by interposing a soft flexible cushion between the parts in contact that these disagreeablesqueaking noises will be prevented. These soft iiexible cushions can be made of any suitable material which will be yielding under pressure and movement, and are preferably made of rubber. This cushion can be provid ed with a holding element, by means of which it will be held in connection or place with one of the pieces between which the cushion intervenes. When made of rubber, this cushion, with its holding element, may be molded in form or be otherwise produced, so as to be in a single piece, ready for application to the piece itis to hold with, and it may be of such a size that a single one will be of sufficient extension to give suitable support or bearing to the piece subject to pressure or movement, or its size may be reduced when two or more cushions are employed in lieu of a single one.

In Figs. l, 2, and 4 the cushions D D are shown to be interposed between the slat-sup-I porting bar or piece b, secured to the side rail B and the slats c c.

D, Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4, is a cushioningdevice containing the essential elements in my invention, and is shown in said Fig. 3 to be made with a box-like form and open from one side to form a chamber d, which receives the end of the slat c. When the device is in place on the end of the slat, one of its sides, as side CZ', will be in situation on the lower side of the said slat and serve asa soft or flexible cushion between said slat and the supporting-bar b, secured to the side rail B of the bedstead, while the bottom wall d2 of this device D will be in situation against the end surface of slat c and forma cushion of soft or flexible nature between the said end surface of the slat and the side rail B of the bedstead. In this device D the two portions d and d2 of IOC) the same operate to prevent both the lower side surface and end surface of the slat from having contact with the wood of either the supporting bar Z) or the side rail B, so that the wood of the slat cannot effect that of either the said supporting bar or rail, so as to produce the disagreeable noises heretofore attending the use of slats with the supportingbars and side rails of bedsteads when the occupant moves on the same. In this form of cushion the side and end walls of the slat-receiving chamber d form the holding element by which the cushion D is held in place with the slat c, so that its portions d and d2 will be in situation between the slat and the bedstead side rail and its supporting-bar.

y In Fig. 4 another forni of cushion D is shown by full and dotted lines to be applied to the slat c at a Yshort dist-ance from its end and in location thereon to receive the side bar C of a bed-bottom. This cushion D is made in the form of a band, and can be moved toward or from the end of the slat to any suitable distance required to give suitable support to the supporting-bar C of the bedbottom when the latter is in place on the slats c. As this cushion in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 is shown to he applied and used its upper side forms the cushion proper D', and the opposite side portion and the end portions, coacting with the said upper side or cushion proper, constitute the holding elements of this cushion.

In Figs and 6 is` shown aoushion which is adapted to be used on either the lower side of the slat c or the upper side of the saine, as illustrated byfull and dotted lines in Fig. 6. Vith this form of cushion the holding element is the stein d3, formed integral with the cushion proper D, which cushion is made with an anand serving as a soft or flexible cushion begnlar form and is composed of the portion d', for hearing against the under side of the slatV and serving as a soft or iiexible cushion between said end surface and the side rail B. In this form of cushion D these angular portions dand d2 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 operate the same as portions d and d2 of cushion D shown in Figs. 1, 8, and 4.

The stem d3, serving as the holding element, is shown to be cylindrical in form, yet it may be made square or angular, if preferred, and be capable of holding with the sides of a corresponding perforation Inade in the slat for receiving said stem, as shown in said Fig. 6.

When the cushion shown in Figs. v5v and 6 is employed, I preferto use them in pairs, substantially as shown in Fig. 6. l

This cushion D in any of the forms above described, when applied to the slat c or other piece or part of a bedstead subject to pressure and movement, will interpose between the wood of said slat or other piece and the wood y.of the contiguous piece and effectually prevent squeaking now consequent on the movement of partsof the bedstead under pressure. Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The combination, with the supporting-bar b and side rail B of. a bedstead andthe slat c, of the cushioning device D, made of soft or flexible material and with angular portions d d2, integral with each other, and provided with means for holding said cushioning device in place between said slat and the said parts of the bedstead, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ALBINA LALIBERTE. Witnesses:

MICHEL FIsET, A. SELKIRK, Jr. 

